Those who love us never really leave us
by HouseoftheBadger
Summary: Do not stand at my grave and weep, I am not there; I do not sleep, I am a thousand winds that blow, I am the diamont glints on snow, I am the sun on riped grain, I am the gentle autumn rain. Do not stand at my grave and cry; I am not there, I did not die. - Mary E. Frye - The first day in the Afterlife for many of our most beloved characters.
1. Chapter I

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K Rowling, not me. If it did, there would be at least one Marauder-book by now.**

Light. It was light. The moment before it had been dark, he remembered seeing Moony sprinting toward Harry after he got hit by Bellatrix. He had fallen. And now, everything was light. Even stranger, he felt good. All pain, both physical and mental, he had lived with ever since he was thrown in Azkaban without a trial was gone. He felt better than he had done for over a decade. Taking a deep breath of fresh air that tasted familiar he slowly opened his eyes.

Sirius couldn't believe his eyes as he sat up and looked around. He was in a room he hadn't been in for ages; James' bedroom in Potter Mansion. How did he get here? And why did it look exactly like he remembered it from his teens? Sirius yawned, feeling more rested than ever before. Suddenly he froze. He had gotten a sight of himself in the big all-body-mirror that was hanging on the wall. The scars, the worn and haunted look he had got in Azkaban was all gone. His thinner hair was gone too, and he had gained the weight and muscles he had lost in prison. Instead he looked young again. Young and beautiful. His grey eyes sparkled with life, his black hair was as thick and handsome as ever and his face didn't show any evidence of what he had lived through. He also wore some of his favourite clothes from his teens; his beloved leather jacket, a white t-shirt with a pad-print on, black ripped jeans and black motorcycle boots. What the hell was going on?

* * *

A low laugh was heard from the door. A laugh he had thought he would never get to hear again. He immediately turned around, almost falling over in his eagerness and fear. In the doorway his best friend, his brother, stood, casually leaning toward the wall. _James_. James looked younger than he had done the last time he saw him; on the floor, dead and cold, in Godric's Hollow. His hair was as messy as ever, and the rectangular glasses was a little bit cocked. He looked like seventeen again, just like Sirius.  
"It's strange, huh?" James asked with a smirk, looking both happy and sad on the same time. "I remember my own confusion."  
He looked around in the room and smiled ruefully.  
"My old bedroom? Oh, Pads…"

Sirius stared at him in shock and confusion. How could…? James…? But… _he was dead!_ This wasn't possible! Except if…  
"I'm dead?" Sirius asked his best friend, not entirely sure how to think about it. "But… _Harry!_ "  
James smiled sadly and nodded. He still held his distance and hadn't come much closer to Sirius. He stroked his hand over a picture of the Marauders, all four of them, that hung on the wall. They were smiling happily and oblivious about the horrors that awaited them in the future. James knew he was the one who had come off the easiest.  
"Yes, Sirius. You're dead. And there's nothing you can do for Harry now. Don't worry, Moony's with him."  
James sounded so incredibly sad when he talked about his son and other best friend.

Sirius nodded slowly, trying to comprehend all this. Suddenly he realized something for the first time since he woke up here, in his best friend's bedroom and his youth's safe place.  
" _Prongs_." He whispered and for the first time James looked entirely happy when he turned back to Sirius. He had _that_ smile on his face – a smile so familiar it almost hurt – and Sirius didn't know what to do, so he reacted entirely instinctual and threw himself on James, hugging him and never wanting to let go.

James hugged back with all his strength and tears began to steam down both their faces.  
"I had hoped that it would take longer until I met you again, Padfoot, but… I'm happy to see you." James said with a small smirk.  
"I'm so sorry, Prongs. It's all my fault." Sirius sobbed into James' shoulder. "If it hadn't been for me you would've been there and seen Harry grow up, been with him. I'm so, so sorry. Oh, I've missed you so much."  
The messy-haired young man (who actually weren't that young anymore) grabbed his best friend's shoulders and parted them, staring into Sirius' shameful grey eyes. They didn't have that haunted look anymore, but the pain of feeling responsible for the murders of two of his best friends still was embedded in them. James looked sternly at Sirius and shook his head slightly.  
"No, Sirius. It's _not_ your fault. It was Wormtail who led Voldemort to us, we trusted him too, but most of all it is Voldemort's fault. But if it is what you need to hear… We forgive you, Pads. Lily forgives you, and _I_ forgive you. No one is blaming you, okay? And you're not allowed to do it either. Understood?"

After a moment Sirius nodded, the guilt feeling a little easier to bear now when he knew James didn't blame him. Maybe, with some time, it would disappear entirely.  
"Understood." He confirmed and the other man looked slightly relieved.  
"And I missed you too, Paddy. More than you can imagine."

For a while they just stood there, staring at each other and taking in the other's presence, so happy over being together once again. Together forever, as they had sworn to be their first year at Hogwarts. Sirius couldn't really believe that James was there, right in front of him, touching him, and not blaming him at all for not being able to see his son grow up. Then Sirius looked around again.  
"Why am I in your room?" he asked and James laughed.  
"Well, this place seems to recreate the places where you were the happiest and felt the safest when you were alive, and it also makes _you_ the age when you were the happiest – which is why I am seventeen. When you first get here it will place you at your 'safe spot' from life, the place where you felt the safest and happiest. Then someone close to that person is sent to fetch you and take you to the 'real' world."  
Sirius nodded. In some strange way that seemed logical. The Potter Mansion had always been his happiest place. He had most happy memories from Hogwarts, but even there bad things existed, such as his blood-family, prejudiced teachers and Slytherins. The Potters' had been the only place which were entirely _his_ except his flat, and the flat's safety had been affected by the war. At the mansion mum and dad where, James were and the Potters' house elves were. Remus and the rat could visit, and here everybody he loved could come and go as they wanted.

* * *

James led Sirius out of the bedroom, and explained a little how this almost-world worked. There were hundreds of places they could visit, both places they had been in during life and not. Even a few dream-places, since some people had had their happiest times in their dreams. There was a fountain next to every home where you could watch your beloved living (and people you didn't love too). So James and Lily had seen everything that had happened since they died – Sirius getting thrown in Azkaban, escaping and helping Harry, Remus' half-life and happier moments after getting Sirius and Harry back, Peter's life as a rat and letting Voldemort back to physical form and Harry's whole life with the Dursleys and in school.

Soon enough they came to a place Sirius knew well. The Hogwarts grounds and the Black lake. He had wondered if he ever would be able to walk here again, and suddenly he was, together with his best friend. There was people here, in different ages and different clothes. Some had uniforms, some had clothes from the 10th century and some had modern clothes, both muggle and robes. Sirius had a new vitality in his steps and he almost bounced forward, as he used to do when he was young. His easy, innate grace had returned and he enjoyed the long gazes some people sent after him as he passed them. It had been long since the last time he had been someone to steal glances of.

By the shore of the lake a small cottage stood. It had thatched roof and was painted red and curtains and flowers in the windows. Outside there was a flowerbed filled with lilies in different colours. All of sudden the door crashed open and a whirlwind with dark red hair flied out and threw itself on Sirius who staggered backwards before getting his balance back and hugging back.  
"Padfoot!" Lily exclaimed when she embraced him.  
"Hello, Flower." Sirius murmured into her hair, holding her tightly. "I've missed you too."  
Lily let go off him and looked at him, from top to toe.  
"You look good, Pads." She told him and winked. Sirius laughed as James growled jokingly.  
"You too, Lils. You too."

It was true. Lily's hair glowed and her green eyes sparkled. She too looked like seventeen. She had just as much energy as Sirius remembered too. In that case she was like a child – she _never ever_ got tired. Not even after a whole day of N.E. , in 7th year.

Sirius followed Lily and James into the cottage where tea was on the stove. Soon enough James was pouring tea into cups and they sat down around the circular kitchen table, which had a vase filled with different kinds of flowers such as lilies, roses, pansy flowers and lilies of the valley and white table cloth with red stripes, and James and Lily told Sirius about all those people who lived here at the Hogwarts grounds, including a certain Cedric Diggory ("Diggory? I think Harry told me about him. I hope he's not like his father." Sirius commented. The Marauders had never liked Amos Diggory) and the McKinnons. Sirius told them about Harry, because even though they could watch him they wanted Sirius to tell them, Remus and a lot of other things.

After tea James and Sirius began plotting meanwhile Lily watched them amusedly and rolled her eyes.  
"Marlene owes me." She mumbled and at the two Marauders' questioning gazes she explained: "Marl and I betted about how long it would take until you two began to plot when Sirius got here. I won."  
James and Sirius grinned.  
"Glad to be at service, Lilykins." Sirius said before turning back to James. They had to show Hogwarts that they were reunited again, with a legendary prank.  
"This is why I missed you, Padfoot." James told him with a devious grin. "My pranks weren't half as good without you, or half as fun."

* * *

A good while later, when they had planned pranks and talked about everything and just sat on the grass outside of the cottage steps was heard, from two persons, and Sirius looked up lazily to see who it was. He immediately flew to his feet as he recognized them. They looked _exactly_ has he remembered them from his teens.  
"Mum. Dad." He breathed and Fleamont and Euphemia Potter smiled, looking both overjoyed and sad on the same time and held out their arms and Sirius smiled widely as he hugged his parent-figures tightly, burying his head in Mrs Potter's hair and feeling Mr Potter's strong arms around him.  
"Sirius." They mumbled lovingly. "We've missed you so much.

When they let go of each other Sirius felt whole. Now only two persons (plus a third who wasn't going to be named and never would be a part of it again) was missing, and then his family would be complete – even though he hoped it would go a _long_ time before his family was complete again, he hoped that both Moony and Harry would live long happy lives, even though it wasn't a very big chance that Moony would at least.

Mr & Mrs Potter sat down on the grass next to their sons and daughter-in-law. They glared at James and Lily jokingly.  
"Why didn't you send a message and told us that Sirius was here? We wanted to greet our son, and then we hadn't even got to know it if it wasn't for Ariana who had seen you come walking with him we still wouldn't know he was here." Mr Potter asked and Sirius felt the familiar warmness and happiness as he always had felt every time he was reminded that the Potters really saw him as a part of the family, for real. Son, and brother, and just as important as James.  
James grinned sheepishly and admitted that he hadn't even thought about it, he had been too engulfed in the fact that Sirius was here with them to thinking of telling anyone and he apologized.

Mr & Mrs Potter stayed for an hour and talked with them about everything and Sirius was so happy to have his parents – his real parents – back again, even if not as happy as he was over having James and Lily back – but no one but possibly Harry could ever compete about the first place that James held in the race of Sirius' affection, and no one tried because everybody knew that James and Sirius were platonic soulmates.

When Mr & Mrs Potter had left to go to the tea they had been invited to by Ariana Dumbledore James straightened his back and looked serious. Sirius yawned and stretched his arms as he looked at the animagus.  
"What's going on, Prongsie?" he asked and James looked worried for a moment.  
"There's someone else here you should meet soon, Paddy." He replied and exchanged gazes with Lily who looked just as serious. Now Sirius was beginning to feel alarmed.  
"Who?"  
"Regulus." James said quietly and Sirius froze. He still hadn't forgiven his baby brother for what he had done, even though he also had missed him almost as much as he had missed his friends and maybe more than he had missed his parents (love-parents, not blood-parents, obviously).

"And why should I meet him?" Sirius asked coldly. Lily placed a hand on his shoulder and he resisted the urge to shake it off, just because every contact with them right now felt like a blessing.  
"Everything's not what it seems, Sirius. Please talk to him. Just for a moment and let him explain. Then we won't bugger you about it more if you don't want to see him after that."

Sirius sighed and nodded. He wanted to see his little brother again, even if he was a traitor, simply because no matter how much he had tried, he had never been able to completely stop love him.  
The three of them stood up and they walked into the Hogwarts Castle, where even more people resided. Sirius greeted many old friends that had died in the war, like their fellow pranksters, Gideon and Fabian Prewett – even though the Prewett twins wasn't as good as the Marauders, they were still _fantastic_ pranksters, but possibly not as good as their nephews – the Weasley twins.  
"Good to see you, Sirius. Maybe you can get James back on track again." Gideon told him with a grin and James looked offended.  
"I'm still a better prankster than you, even without Padfoot." He said, frowning. Fabian shrugged.  
"We know. But the pranks you've done haven't even come close to the ones you used to do back in school."

They talked a bit more with the twins before leaving and walking toward the Great Hall after asking an old man who Sirius recognized as his bloodtraitor great great uncle Phineas Black where they could find Regulus Black II. Phineas had been delighted over another bloodtraitor Black here, even though he was very sorry to hear that the male line of the Family, and with it the name, had died with Sirius.

* * *

The Great Hall looked just as Sirius remembered it. The roof was transparent and they could see the blue sky and it was filled with people who ate. The only different things was that it didn't seem to be any House-tables, nor any hourglasses that counted points. Instead everyone sat where they wanted to. A _pang_ was heard as a chair fell over and when they looked there Sirius' only sibling stood there, staring at them. He had rose so quickly that the chair had fallen to the floor.

Sirius stared back, not knowing what to do, but James waved Regulus over to them and then led them both out of the Great Hall and the stares in there. Soon enough they sat in an empty room, still staring at each other.  
"Sirius..?" Regulus said. "I…" He interrupted himself. Instead Sirius suddenly stood up, glaring at his almost identical but slimmer and slightly less handsome brother.  
"I told you not to come to me! And what did you do?" Sirius roared to a stunned Regulus. "You came to me! And then you just _left me there, wondering what had happened to you_! _How did you think I would react when I got the message about your_ _ **death**_ _from the Ministry? And not a_ _ **sign**_ _about what had happened to you!_ "  
Regulus swallowed and looked both a little fearful and very sad as he held up his hand in defeat. James put a hand on Sirius' shoulder to calm him down, just as he had done that time for long ago when they found out that Regulus had joined the Death Eaters, but just as back then Sirius shrugged it off, for the first time since he came her denying contact with James.

Regulus stared at him with big, sad eyes, almost perfect copies of his own. He held out his hands and waited for Sirius to calm down before he spoke.  
"I know, Sirius. I'm so sorry. But I had something I had to do, that I couldn't tell anybody about. Not even you. Especially not you since you had demanded to come with me."  
" _What could possibly be that important? I'm your_ _ **brother**_ _, Regulus!_ "  
"Please, if you could only listen." The youngest and lastborn Black ever begged. Sirius took a deep breath and sat down.  
"Then tell me. Tell me _everything_."  
Regulus nodded in relief and began to tell about Voldemort needing an elf, him offering Kreacher, and the Horcrux, the potion and the Inferi. About everything. Sirius listened with growing horror and for a second he even looked passionate about Kreacher. Only for a second.

When Regulus finished his tale James and Lily was looking solemn. They had heard this before. Sirius stared at Regulus, and felt a growing pride for his baby brother who finally seemed to have grown a backbone and ability to think for himself. Just too bad he had used it to get killed. Regulus watched his older brother nervously, waiting for Sirius to react. Without warning Sirius threw himself on Regulus and Regulus automatically lifted his hands to drag his wand and protect himself but before he could do that Sirius was hugging him.  
"I'm so proud, Reggie."  
Lily and James smiled toward each other when they watched the two brothers. Regulus hugged back for all he was worth and felt so relieved that his brother didn't hate him as he had been worried about.  
"You know, Siri," Regulus began with a smile. "When I first came here my body was six years old, because my luckiest time was when we were children, before everything, when it only was you and I and the elves and Mother and Father. I think I was never happier than around that time, before you went to Hogwarts. But obviously I didn't want a child's body so it changed back to my eighteen-years-old self. So I'm older than you now, big brother."  
Sirius laughed.  
"Maybe bodily, but you will always be my baby brother."

* * *

When they left Regulus they all knew that the brothers' relationship wasn't repaired yet, but it was on its way and one day they maybe could be as close as they had been as young children. Sirius was happy that Regulus seemed to have accepted James now. Before Regulus had practically hated James, and Sirius knew that his brother had seen it as his friend's fault that Sirius betrayed the Family and the brothers became almost enemies.

* * *

The whole day Sirius met old friends, new friends and even a few relatives; those who hadn't been horrible in life, such as Phineas who had been disowned for fighting for Muggle Rights and his Uncle Alphard. Sirius also found out that his motorcycle was here, which he was incredibly happy for. That night Sirius, James and Lily camped outside, next to the Black lake, under the stars. They spent hours pointing out constellations and stars such as Sirius and Regulus and the Andromeda galaxy and all other of Sirius' relatives, and Sirius felt peaceful for the first time in Merlin knows how long.

When he fell asleep that night, next to two of his best friends and his family, free and happy, he finally felt totally happy, all his concerns and problems forgotten.

* * *

 **Review!**

 **I hope you liked it, even though it doesn't really fit with the other fics I've written (since in them I pretend that everyone lives Happily Ever After like they should've done - Yeah, I'm no Luna. I'm not good at coping with the death of my beloved favourite characters).**

 **Well, I've got nothing more to say, so...  
Adiaŭ (apparently that's Bye on Esperanto)  
**


	2. Chapter II

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story itself!**

 **Oh, and thanks to HufflepuffTimeTurner who was my beta in this and corrected my grammar and any careless mistakes there might have been here :) Thank you!**

How peculiar. Peculiar, but yet wonderful. It was quiet. It felt peaceful. Nothing hurt at all, and he felt calm. Remus couldn't remember the last time he had felt like this. Not for years. Not for at least sixteen years, probably not since they had graduated Hogwarts. It felt wonderful. Still, it felt like it was something he had to do, or something he had been doing before coming here. Something important. The feeling nagged him until he opened his eyes and to his big surprise he found himself in a very familiar room. The Marauders' dormitory, from his Hogwarts years. He hadn't been here since they had graduated, so what was he doing here now? His eyes widened when he realized what he had forgotten. The battle! Dora and Teddy! Harry!

He flew to his feet but then two things happened at once that got him thinking other thoughts. First, he caught a sight of himself in the big mirror Sirius had put up – he was very vain and wanted to make sure he looked fabulous all the time (that was a direct quote) – and he almost didn't recognize himself. Gone was the wrinkled and scarred face and the tired eyes. Gone was the almost emaciated body (even though it had been slightly better the last years) and gone was the tiredness and sadness that usually hung over him. Instead… he looked young once again. All grayness was gone from his hair, and the thinness disappeared. Instead his hair was as thick as ever and his youth's brown colour. The big scars over his cheeks he had had since he was fourteen were gone and he actually looked healthy, for the first time he could ever remember. His green eyes shone and the pain that had been buried in them since that Halloween had entirely disappeared and he wore one of his favourite sweaters and jeans. He looked sixteen again.

The other thing was that as soon as he looked into the mirror, he felt shocked, and an even bigger shock came. He heard a familiar snigger, something he had thought he would never hear again, and turned around with the pace of a lightning bolt. In the door, a very familiar, more familiar than the last time he had seen him, boy stood. Yes, he was a boy. The pained and tortured man had disappeared and in the door a teenager stood. Sirius. Padfoot.

"Hello, Moony." Sirius said, grinning _that_ grin. A grin Remus stopped think he would ever see again when he was 21 – first because he thought Sirius was a traitor, and had been in Azkaban, and then because the Sirius who came out from Azkaban simply didn't grin that grin. He had seen too much and been through too much. But this Sirius looked just as untroubled as he had been before they were dragged into the First War. Remus was stunned and could only stare at his best friend. Meanwhile, Sirius held out his arms. "It's been awhile. But not as long as I would've wished."

"Padfoot? But… you're dead!" Remus exclaimed, but then he remembered. "Oh. I got hit by the Killing Curse. I'm dead too, aren't I?"

Sirius nodded and looked hesitant, apparently unsure how Remus would take the news of being killed just as his life had begun to look bright again. Wife, and a child. Two things Remus never had dreamed of that he would have, because of his lycanthropy.  
"Well, I cannot say I'm surprised." Remus said with a sigh. "I knew I would probably die in the battle. But at least Teddy's safe. I hope Dora makes it back to him."  
Then he looked up at the black-haired boy and smiled. He was so happy to see his friend again. He hated to admit it, because he hated that he had left Dora and Teddy and Harry behind, but he had felt relief when he saw the Killing Curse fly toward him. Finally he would find peace. He loved his family, more than he ever thought he could love, but everything else… He hadn't felt peaceful ever since Halloween -81. Wasn't it his turn now? He was the last Marauder walking the Earth after all. Apparently it was.

His smile was happy, and loving, and suddenly he threw himself into Sirius' open arms. Sirius chuckled contently and hugged back.  
"Pads…" Remus whispered. "I never thought I would see you again." Then he suddenly realized something.

"If you're here… are Jamie and Lily here too?"  
Sirius smiled and dragged his fingers through Remus hair, like he always used to do back in school.  
"They are. And everybody else too. I've met your mother. She's always watching you. She wanted to get you from here, but she let me and James do it in the end. Prongs and I had a little quarrel about who would get you, but I won. As usual. Lily wanted to, too, but she let us. Ready to see them?"  
Remus smiled.  
"I've been ready for almost seventeen years, Paddy."

* * *

They left the dorms and walked down the hallways of Hogwarts. There was a lot of people there, but everyone just waved and smiled when they saw them, knowing from own experience that it would take a while before Remus was ready to talk to anybody but his most beloved ones. Sirius explained this place for Remus, how it worked and such, and they came closer to the entrance of the castle.  
When they reached it, Sirius thought he had explained most things for his friend.  
When they came outside Remus looked a little awed. His last memory of Hogwarts Courtyard was the battle, and it had been dark and people had been screaming and the lights of curses had been shining everywhere. Now the sky was blue and not a single unhappy person was to be seen. Sirius began to talk about the pranks he and James had played since they came here, and how they had missed Remus' expertise, knowing that right now Moony wouldn't want to talk himself, but he would listen. Remus smiled joyfully when he listened to Sirius. He had missed his friends more than he had ever known when he was alive, and that said a lot.

They reached the Black lake and Remus saw some cosy cottages. Sirius whistled and suddenly three people came out from one of them. Remus immediately recognized them. Lily, James, and Hope Lupin – his mum. Hope had died in his seventh year, and he had missed her so much ever since. It was possible that he had missed his friends more actually - when he lost his mother he still had them, but when he lost them, he had nothing - but that didn't make the loss any easier to carry.

* * *

Hope looked younger than she had been when she was alive. She looked about the age she had been when he was a toddler, before he got bitten and everything had been perfect. Usually he would feel shame over having made his parents so unhappy, but it seemed like this world had gotten rid of the feeling he knew he shouldn't feel, because it hadn't been his fault, but he still couldn't help it.  
She ran to him and hugged him tightly, so hard that he couldn't breathe. But he realized it didn't do anything. Apparently he didn't need to breathe anymore – he was dead, so it was only logical actually.

"Remus." Hope mumbled into his shoulder. She was a head shorter than he was. "My Remus. _Mon Remus, Mon garçon. Mon fils_." (My Remus, my boy. My son.)  
Remus hugged back, feeling tears prickle his face, but he didn't care. He hadn't cared when he was younger if he cried – as long as he was sure no one else would be unhappy – and he didn't care now.  
" _Salut, maman_." He answered. " _Tu m'a manqué._ " (Hi, mum. I've missed you)  
"I can't believe you're already here." Hope said, sounding both happy and extremely sad. "I saw your wedding, love. It was everything a mother could hope for."  
Remus felt a twinge of loss when he was remembered of his wife – the love of his life and afterlife. He already missed Dora.  
"Thank you, _maman_. I'm glad."

When Hope let go of her son he was immediately caught up in another embrace. Not that he minded. It was another one that was more familiar than his own body right now.  
"Hello, Prongs." Remus smiled.  
"Hello, Moons." James replied, smirking. Oh, how Remus had missed him. Right now it felt like it couldn't be better, where he stood embracing his best friend and surrounded by his other two best friends and his mother. He wondered when he would get to see his dad again. He hadn't seen Lyall much at all since Halloween -81. "Welcome home."

After hugging James for an eternity Lily stood there and fake-glared at him.  
"So I'm last, huh? Good to know what you think of me." She said and put her nose in the air, but her green eyes glittered with mischief and love – just as he remembered them. She might not have been a prankster like them, but she could be just as much of a troublemaker if she wanted to, much to the happiness of James and Sirius when they realized it.  
"I've missed you, Lily." He said simply and she smiled her loving smile.  
"I've missed you too, Remus."  
Remus buried his face in Lily's red hair. Only three people were missing, and this would be perfect. But oh, how he hoped it would take time before they got here. He was just slowly beginning to let go of Lily when a voice he would recognize anywhere and loved more than anything but his son was heard.

* * *

"Remus!"  
Remus quickly parted from Lily, both hoping he had and that he hadn't heard wrong. He hadn't. As he looked to his right he saw Ted Tonks coming walking, smiling, and in front of him a woman with bubble-gum-pink hair was, running toward him.  
"Dora?" Remus asked, astounded. First he just stared, but then Lily bumped her elbow into his side and he woke up from the shock. He shook his head before running too and meeting her halfway.

Laughing and crying on the same time Remus and Dora Lupin embraced each other and held on as if life itself hanged on it – not that life hanged on anything anymore. After a while Dora looked up at him with a smile and kissed him. He smiled into the kiss and kissed back. When they parted after a while he took her hand.

"You too?" he asked.  
"Duh." Dora rolled her eyes. "Why do you think I'm here?" She saw the worried gaze in his eyes and smiled tenderly. "Don't worry about Teddy. Mum's going to take care of him, and Harry too. Dad told me we can watch them from here."

Remus nodded. He knew he and Dora would always worry about their son and only child, but he guessed there wasn't much they could do about it. At least James and Lily could give advice on how to handle it since they had been through the same thing – but worse, since they could be sure that Andromeda would love her grandson which the Dursleys hadn't, and Teddy had Harry too.

He greeted his father-in-law with a smile before leading Dora towards his friends and mother. They all smiled brightly as they watched their friend, almost-brother and son, and how much happier he was as soon as he came into this woman's presence. It was great. All of them had been so worried for Remus all those years, and finally he had found love. Other love than the family love he got from his parents and that the Marauders shared, of course.  
"Hello, Dora." Sirius greeted and hugged his cousin briefly. Dora smiled and hugged back.  
"Hello, cousin."

* * *

When Dora and Sirius had said hi, Remus turned to his other friends and mother.  
"Everybody, this is Dora – my wife. Dora, this is Lily, James, and my mum – Hope."  
"Hello!" She greeted them, almost bouncing from energy. Only now Remus realized that she looked younger than before, but still not. She looked like a mixture between the Dora Remus had known and married and a teenager Tonks. He smiled when he looked at Dora who presented herself for his family.

"Hello, Dora." Lily smiled. "It's nice to have another girl here. I don't even dare to think about what'll happen now when those three are reunited. The afterlife will be a chaos."  
Sirius laughed.  
"Oh, Flower. So naïve." He said with twinkling eyes. "I think Dora here would be most delighted to help us create havoc. Isn't it true, little cousin?"  
Dora smirked and winked toward Sirius before putting a hand around Remus' waist. He did the same, still looking absolutely delighted over having her there, even though he was still sad that Teddy would grow up without either of his parents.

* * *

Later that night, the Marauders, their old honorary member, and their new sat around a campfire and talked and laughed, just like old times. The only difference was that now Dora had taken Peter's place. They discussed the Battle of Hogwarts that they had seen from here and that of it that Remus and Dora had got to live in, and the Marauders and Lily's meeting with Harry through the Resurrection stone.

"Tomorrow I think it's time for a prank." James said with a mischievous tone in his voice. Everyone around the fire – even Lily – perked up and looked attentively at the black haired teen-that-was-no-teen. "After all, we've got to show them that the Marauders are reunited, don't we?"  
Sirius and Remus laughed and smirked. One would even say that the smirks looked quite evil.

"Definitely." Sirius replied and Remus nodded.  
"I think it's time." He agreed and dragged his hand over Dora's hair. Her head was resting on his shoulder and her hand was lying on his leg. Dora looked very interested.  
"I'll let you do this prank alone." She told them seriously "since it's a reunion-prank, but next time I'm going to help. Understood?"  
James and Sirius saluted, in the same manners as they used to salute McGonagall back in school.  
"Understood, Auror Lupin, ma'am!" they chanted in chorus and grinned.  
"Of course, love." Remus agreed, knowing that she would let nothing stop her. Plus, it was only fair that she too got to take part in it. She wasn't a Marauder, but she wasn't bad at pranks either. Not as good as them, though, but then, they had yet to see someone who could beat the Marauders in a prank war. Gideon and Fabian had tried. Many times. They had lost even though they were older. Maybe someday… Maybe Teddy would grow up to it. He had the blood of him, Dora, Sirius and James after all, and was a metamorphmagus like his mother. It wouldn't surprise him. He smiled at the thought as he kissed Dora's hair.

* * *

When Remus fell asleep that night, in Lily and James and Sirius' guest room since he and Dora hadn't chosen their own cottage yet, after getting to know that even though his friends could turn into their Animagi-forms, he wouldn't transform into a werewolf in this world, he was tightly crouched together with Dora in one of the best beds he had ever slept in, and he was happy. Entirely happy and content. He would miss Teddy, yes, and mourn that Teddy wouldn't grow up with them, but he also was entirely happy over being here, together with his best friends who he never thought he would see again, his mother and his Dora. Just before they both fell asleep he mumbled into Dora's ear:  
"I love you."  
He could feel Dora's tired smile as she pressed herself closer to him and mumbled back:  
"I love you too."

* * *

 **Review!**

 **Well, it was a while since last, huh? I've really got a writer's block and right now I mostly prefer to read rather than write. And this was really the only thing I could come up with how I would write more than a few lines. So if you've got any tips or things you'd like to read about our favourite Marauders - in school/during school years or If They Lived, then tell me, please!**

 **Anyway, have a nice weekend and all that. Bye!**


	3. Chapter III

**Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

Harry James Potter realized that suddenly he felt better than he had done for years. He felt almost… young again. His tired body didn't hurt anymore and he didn't feel tired. Slowly opening his eyes he also realized his white beard was gone and when he moved he could do it without problems, the ailment due to firm age was gone. He felt slightly confused when he realized this and grabbed a handful of his hair that again was short. It was pitch black, just like in his youth. He stretched his arms and yawned. Where was he? Normally he would feel worried over waking up in another place than where he fell asleep – next to Ginny in his house in Godric's Hollow, but by some reason he didn't feel any stress.

Suddenly he recognized the place. It was the living room in the Burrow, and he was lying in the couch, but it looked different from when he was here the last time. Instead of having Percy and Audrey's well-arranged interior it looked like it had done when his whole family-in-law lived here when he was at Hogwarts. It was like the Weasleys siblings could come running in with their broomsticks, Molly could come and yell that it was dinner or Arthur could come in and talk about any new muggle-things he had found any second now. Harry had to admit it was wonderful. He had missed his parents-in-law just as much as his siblings-in-law when they passed away, years ago.

Suddenly he heard movement behind him and even though he felt relaxed his Auror-reflexes kicked in and he turned around fast as lightening. It had been an eternity since last he had been able to do that, even though the instinct to do it hadn't disappeared with age. In front of him one of his most missed friends and his first ever family-member stood: Ron.

* * *

Ron smirked when he saw Harry's shock. He looked so much like Harry remembered from his youth. Instead of being old and white like he had been before he passed away, two years ago, he looked to be around thirty years old. Suddenly Harry realized how it must be.  
"I'm dead, aren't I?" he asked Ron, who smiled and nodded.  
"Right you are, mate." He answered, knowing Harry wasn't upset. They both lived long and happy lives, so why should he?

Harry grinned and stretched out his arms and Ron grinned back and hugged him.  
"I've missed you." Ron confessed. "You and Hermione, and the children. And everyone else who's still alive of course."  
"We've missed you too. You've got two more great-great-grandchildren, by the way. Kael and Damon have adopted twins."  
Kael was Ron's son Hugo's daughter Scarlet's son. Damon was his husband. Ron nodded and smiled proudly.  
"I know. I've watched them from here. You can do that, you know. Hey, have you looked at yourself in the mirror yet?"

Harry shook his head so Ron led him to a whole-body-mirror that was placed on the wall. Harry almost choked in surprise. Well, he certainly didn't have his 126 years old body any longer. Instead he looked like he was in the best part of his life, once again. His hair was pitch black, as he had realized before, he didn't have practically any wrinkles and he stood strong and straight. He was dressed in every-day-robes and looked like he was going to take his children to the park anytime now. He looked like he, just like Ron, was 30 again.

"Well, now you've seen yourself. You're ready to go and meet some old friends?" Ron asked with a grin and after a moment Harry nodded. He followed Ron out of the Burrow and meanwhile Ron explained how everything worked here he saw how his surroundings changed form and soon he wasn't in Devon anymore, but in Scotland. He was back at the Hogwarts grounds. He looked around in amazement meanwhile watching all the people. It was a lot more people here than what could logically fit, but he supposed if this was the Afterlife not much had to be logical.

* * *

There was both wizards, witches and people who seemed to be muggles here, dressed in all from robes from all ages, to clothes that looked like they came straight from the middle ages, and to the futuristic clothes the youth wore today. It was fantastic.  
Ron showed him the way toward the Black lake, where a lot of cottages was placed. Outside of one of them a lot of people stood and he recognized the red hair many of them wore immediately. Within seconds after they had been visible from the cottages a shout came: "Harry!" and the redheads began to run toward them. Soon he was embraced by a pair of strong arms he hadn't felt for years.

"Molly." Harry said and hugged back. She looked so much younger than he ever could remember her be. She was beautiful, with her copious amount of body and red hair.  
"Harry! How wonderful to see you again." Molly said when they parted. She held him out in front of her and watched him from top to toe. "You looks healthy. Good. You're going to need energy for what's coming now."

He understood what she meant as he was surrounded by more and more people. Arthur, Charlie, Angelina, Audrey, all the Weasleys except Hermione, Ginny, Bill and Fleur and the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren seemed to be here – since they were the only ones who still was alive. Even though there was a generous amount of children and grandchildren, so the Weasleys was more than ever since the cousins also had gotten a lot of children.

"Harry, m'boy." Arthur said. "How marvellous to see you again. It's been too long, even though I'm glad it's been so long." He added when Molly wacked him in the head. Harry grinned and told him he'd missed him too.

When the Weasleys let go of him there was only two who hadn't surrounded him. He saw them immediately. Arm in arm, 17 years old again, Fred and George Weasley stood, grinning widely winking at him. It seemed like the Weasley twins finally had been reunited again when George had died six years ago. Harry knew George had been happy, and he had had a wonderful life, but he had never been quite the same after Fred's death and Fred II had told him that George sometimes still had cried himself to sleep, even when he had been over one hundred years old. It really hadn't been often, but in a few occasions the memories and sorrow still had been too big for George who had lost his best friend and soulmate during the Battle. But now George grinned and looked exactly as Harry remembered him from Hogwarts and when the twins had founded Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes.

"Well, look at that, Forge." George said with a smirk.  
"Yes, Gred. It looks like ickle Harrikins finally decided to join us."  
Harry laughed as Molly tried to whack them just like she had whacked Arthur, but they ducked in time and succeeded to avoid her hand.  
"Hello."

They laughed too and gave him a big hug that actually lifted him from the ground – which was a bit strange since he had the body of a 30 years old and was 126 years old for real.  
When they had greeted Ron placed his hands on his arm.  
"There's someone who want to meet you – and I think you want to meet them too. But they wanted to wait until we thought you were ready."  
Harry nodded and let Ron lead him to a cottage a bit from there. The Weasleys all followed him.

* * *

The cottage Ron took him to was cosy, that was easy to see. The flowerbeds was filled with lilies and roses and a few petunias, and the windows of the cottage had flowers in them all and curtains in different colours. Ron knocked on the door thrice and then they backed a few steps. Harry felt a little nervous, he had an idea of who it was but he wasn't sure.

After a few moments the door opened and Harry found he had been right. Out from the door five people came – of two he had always longed to get to know but never had gotten the chance. He had seen them once before, even though they had been older then than what they looked like now – when he had seen them through the Resurrection Stone during the Battle of Hogwarts.  
The first one who came out looked exactly like him, except younger and with brown eyes instead of green. He also had rectangular glasses instead of circular. His father – James Potter. The second one was a woman with his green eyes, or rather, her green eyes he had inherited, and flaming red hair in a warmer tone than the Weasleys'. Lily Potter née Evans. The third one was someone he had got to know, but not been together with long. He too looked so much younger and also happier than he had been alive. With styled black hair, grey eyes that sparkled with mischief and a leather jacket, he looked a lot better than the Sirius Black he had known. Of the second two one was almost unrecognizable meanwhile the other was easy to see who it was. The first one was a man without any scars and who didn't look tired at all, in difference to when he was alive. He smiled widely, with mischief-filled green eyes and he looked extremely much healthier and handsomer than the last time Harry had seen him. Harry realized it was Remus Lupin. And the last one was easy to see who it was with her bright pink hair and eyes glittering with almost as much mischief as Sirius', even though she looked a bit younger. Nymphadora Lupin née Tonks.

They looked at him with eyes that almost didn't seem to believe what they saw. All of them seemed a bit unsure, especially his parents. Harry stood frozen. He had longed to get to know them for so long, even if he when he became older learnt to accept that he would not, but now they stood right in front of them. He didn't know what to say.

After a few moments of staring at each other Ron bumped his elbow into Harry's side and Harry took an involuntary step forward. Lily lifted her hand slightly and after a moment she stepped forward so she stood in front of him.  
"Harry…" she whispered, her eyes glimmering with unleashed tears and love. "So big you've been."  
"Mum…" he answered, unsure. That seemed to be all Lily needed, and suddenly she hugged him tightly. After a moment of shock he hugged his mother back. After 125 years he got another hug from the woman who gave him her life.

Suddenly he was surrounded by people. Ron had stepped back to let the family greet each other. Harry felt a hand on his shoulder and when he looked up he saw James who smiled and looked very proud.  
"Like we said for all these years ago, Harry, we're so proud of you. So proud."  
It felt weird that his parents in fact was younger than him, both in years they had lived and bodily, but right now Harry didn't care. All he cared about was that he finally had the chance to get to know his parents, and a second chance to be a family with them, Sirius and Remus.

When Lily let go of him James hugged him, and then both Sirius and Remus and even Dora did it too. It felt great to have them back. He had never known James and Lily, but Remus and Dora had been a little bit like family in the end, and Sirius had been the closest thing to a father he had ever had except Arthur.  
"We've watched you your whole life, you know." Lily told him.  
"Wow that sounded creepy." Sirius joked and Lily hit him over the head with a smile.  
"Shut up, Pads."  
"What Lily is trying to say…" James took over "is that we've seen everything you've gone through and been cheering on you from here. We only wishes we could've done more."  
Harry smiled.  
"It was enough. You saved me more than once, mum, dad."

It felt great to say, and both James' and Lily's eyes shone up when he uttered those words like they had been worried he wouldn't accept them.  
They talked for a while and Harry got to know more about his parents during this time than he had known during his whole life even though they mostly talked about him before Remus suggested that they would take this inside over a cup of tea.  
"Since there will be more who will want to meet Harry."  
They all agreed and Harry and Ron followed the Marauders back into the cottage. The rest of the Weasleys seemed to decide that they could use a little privacy, but Harry was grateful Ron was there, as always. Plus, he didn't want to leave Ron just yet. He hadn't seen Ron since his best friend had died, after all. They had much to catch up on.

When they came into the living room a bird's chirping was heard. Harry looked up and to his shock he realized that a snow-white owl was sitting in the window. Harry had had many owls since the War, but he had never quite forgotten his first pet which Hagrid bought him when he was introduced to the Wizarding World.  
"Hedwig." He exclaimed breathlessly and the owl chirped again and flew over to him and landed on his arm that he held out. James came forward and smiled tenderly.  
"She comes here sometimes, even though she lives outside. I think she knew you would arrive, she's been here all day."  
Harry smiled toward his dad and petted Hedwig on the head. She almost purred in delight over having her owner there and petting her again.

After a few moments Harry, Ron and the Marauders (including Lily and Dora) sat down and James came with the tea. They poured up cups to each one and for a few moments they just sat quietly, sipping on the tea, before Sirius and Remus spoke up.  
"Thank you for taking care of our son." Remus told him where he sat with one arm around Ton- Dora. Harry smiled and would precisely answer him when he was interrupted.  
"And thank you for naming your son and daughter after us." Sirius said with a smile. "Even though I'm not too happy over that you named one after Snivellus."  
"Sirius!" Lily rebuked him. "Stop with that. I know he did a lot wrong, and you know I haven't forgiven him entirely, but at least stop with that nickname."  
"Nope. After how he treated my godson and Neville he deserves it more than ever."

Harry smiled slightly even though he agreed with Lily. Soon he had found out that Snape was in a middle-good world for the people who had done bad or even evil things but also had done something to redeem themselves. He had to admit it was where Snape belonged. He had done many horrible things and he had worked for Voldemort even though he had done very brave and good things too in the end. They who lived here could visit though, but not the other way around. Lily had been visiting Snape, but she wasn't still able to forgive him for being a Death Eater (even though she by now had forgiven him for The Incident after O. ), and even harder to forgive him for the fact that he had been entirely fine with Harry and James dying as long as she lived, and for how he had treated Harry and his other students outside Slytherin – especially Neville and Hermione. That simply wasn't something you forgave in a hand wave. Remus agreed mostly with Lily, and James was in ways better set to Snape since he had protected Harry even though he hated him for reminding him of his bully – but he still hated Snape in many ways too, and Sirius still simply hated 'the greaseball'. Dora didn't like him, he had been a horrible teacher and not a nice fellow Order-member, but she hadn't known him as long as the others so she didn't hate him, but disliked him strongly. Apparently Wormtail was there too, in the little lower parts, and they had visited him too twice. Maybe with time they would do it again, and if Harry wanted to they could come with him if he wished, but he was still seen as a traitor. Yet he hadn't given an explanation to why he had done it, much to Harry's confusion. Why?*

Harry told his family that _of course_ he would name his children after them, and began to tell Remus and Dora that it had been a wonderful pleasure to help raise Teddy together with Andromeda, and he was like a son for him and Ginny even though neither they nor Andromeda of course never could replace them, and also managed to tell the Lupins a bit about Teddy's children even though they of course had watched them – they all wanted to hear it from someone who had lived through it.  
Teddy and Victoire's children was named Dora Fleur Lupin (her husband had taken her surname when they married, he had such a boring and usual one) (Lily II was godmother), Remus Bill Harry Lupin (James II was godfather) and Alyssandra Ginny Andromeda Pritchard (Albus II was godfather) and all of them had grown up to wonderful people with wonderful families

They talked for a while about everything that had been going on in Harry's life, Teddy's life and here in the Afterlife meanwhile they drank their tea and Harry just enjoyed being with the family he never got to have, or had way too short time. He wondered a little how his life would've been if he had grown up with these happy and wonderful people instead of the Dursleys, with his loving parents and possible siblings, his godfather Uncle Padfoot and Uncle Moony. He learned that his first word had been "Pa-foo" which had amused Sirius and Remus and Lily to no end (and Sirius had obviously been extremely proud" meanwhile James had refused to speak to Sirius for two whole hours before they had broken down and made up, not being able to be mad at each other, and that the cat that lied in James' lap was the same cat as he had almost killed when he got his first broomstick – and that his dad had had that cat since it had been a kitten when he [James] was ten. James was apparently extremely crazy in cats and if Lily had allowed him he would have a whole farm. Potter Mansion where James grew up (Harry had known the Potters had a mansion before, but not any details including when it had been sold out of the Potters' ownership) would've also been filled with cats if his parents had allowed it when James was a kid – one of the very few things his parents ever told him "no" about.

When they had finished tea Ron stood up. He had been quiet most of the time, letting Harry get to know his parents, but now they had to go, which he told Harry.  
"There's still people who want to meet you."  
Harry nodded and hugged his family, promising to come back soon, before leaving together with the freckly man.

* * *

When they walked past the Greenhouses Harry heard a voice call out his name. He felt like he had heard the voice before but he didn't recognize where or whose voice it was. He and Ron turned around and saw a teenager in black jeans and a yellow T-shirt with the Hufflepuff badger on coming running toward him. He looked like somewhere between sixteen and twenty. It took a moment or two before he realized who the boy was but when he reached them he saw it.  
"Cedric?!" he asked, surprised and a little shocked. Cedric Diggory smiled before lifting his hand and smacking Harry over the head, not too hard but enough so it would hurt.  
"Ow. What was that for?"

Cedric smirked a little even though he looked serious too.  
"For blaming yourself for my death. How could you do that? It was Voldemort's fault, _not_ yours."  
Ron began to laugh at Harry's face and waved to Cedric. The brown-haired man waved back but then he stared intently at Harry, waiting.  
"I know, I know." Harry told him, lifting his hands. "I don't do it anymore, of course. And I know I shouldn't have done that back then. But it was kind of hard not to."  
Cedric nodded, accepting it since it wasn't much else to do. They began to walk again, together with the teenager.  
"So, what have you've been up to?" Cedric asked him and Harry told him about what happened after the war since Remus had told him that everyone up here with family or friends still alive had been watching the war to see what would happen, so Cedric already knew all that. Cedric listened but soon a girl Cedric's age, with lilac hair and summer robes on, turned up and waved to Cedric to come. He explained that it was his partner that he had met here in Afterlife – a witch that had died after being knocked off her broomstick during a violent Quidditch-match for five hundred years ago – and that he had to go. Harry and Ron said goodbye and they continued to their unknown destination.

They walked over well-known grounds, even

* * *

though they looked different with houses everywhere and so much different people everywhere, and soon they reached a very familiar hut. Harry smiled. He had missed the person who had introduced him to the wizarding world a lot since he died when the half-giant was 111 years old. Ron knocked on the door and it opened soon. Harry just was able to see that familiar, smiling, beardy face before he was embraced in the biggest hug today, or for years.  
"Hagrid…" he succeeded to hiss out. "You're squishing me."  
Hagrid immediately let him down but didn't stop smiling when he lead them into his hut.  
"Come in, come in." he told them cheerfully. "Merlin, 'Arry, you're lookin' good."  
The black haired man smiled and thanked but stopped in shock when he looked in. Then a wide grin spread on his face. In the hut not only Hagrid and Fang was but – except him and Ron – Neville, Luna, Rolf, Andromeda, Ted and Dumbledore.

There was a happy reunion when he met some of his best friends (Rolf had obviously been a part of the gang ever since his relationship with Luna got serious and he was just as liked as the people they had known longer than him).  
"We've missed you." Luna told him serenely. It was shocking how little she had changed since Hogwarts. Of course the war changed her, and being locked in the cellar of Malfoy Manor did a lot, but she probably was the one who was the most like her school-self except maybe Ginny.

Neville told him that he had kept his eyes on them and on his godson especially ever since he died – twenty years ago Neville had got killed by a mandrake. His wife Hannah had of course been miserable but she had succeeded to get along with life again and was still on foot, taking careful care of Neville's garden and making sure his grave always had a lot of interesting plants on it.

Harry got big hugs by Andromeda and Ted. Of course Andromeda had become a part of the family during the years since she was Teddy's grandmother and guardian, and they had often visited before she died of old age.

After greeting everyone else Dumbledore stepped forward. He looked a little unsure, as if he wasn't sure that Harry wanted him there – even though he had named his son after him. Harry smiled.  
"Hello, Professor."  
Dumbledore chuckled.  
"You're older than I now, Harry. You don't need to call me professor anymore. Albus is fine." He took of his glasses and took up a handkerchief from his robes and swept them under his eyes, almost like he was wiping away some tears. "Thank you for naming your son after me. I would have understood if you wouldn't want anything to do with me to do anymore."  
Harry smiled slightly, happy over seeing his old mentor again and hoping he had had a good time here in the Afterlife. He had deserved it.  
"Of course I want, pro- Albus. Like I said for so many years ago: Hallows, not Horcruxes."  
Dumbledore laughed loudly and looked relieved.  
"Maybe I could present you for my sister, Ariana, someday? I'm sure she would be delighted. And Aberforth and my parents is here too, if you want to meet him again."  
Harry nodded. He would love to meet Aberforth again, and meeting Ariana Dumbledore sounded very interesting. He was glad that Dumbledore seemed to have found his highest dream.

* * *

The friends and family talked and laughed the whole evening and then Harry followed Ron to Molly and Arthur's house. The Weasleys obviously didn't live together, all of them, but tonight Harry and Ron would sleep with the closest things to parents that Harry had been allowed to keep. That cottage was outside the Hogwarts grounds, but in this world nothing was long. They lived in the original version of The Burrow in their "own" Devon – Xeno Lovegood lived close to here too, and so did Luna and Rolf, and Kingsley. Ron lived on the Hogwarts grounds meanwhile Charlie lived in a place with a lots of dragons, Audrey (Percy's wife) lived in Hogsmeade until Percy would come here and Fred, George and Angelina lived above Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes. Ron told him that apparently they had created a new WWW as soon as George came here. Now they didn't take any payment for their articles of course since you didn't need money here, but the Marauders _loved_ their things. And Fred and George was of course overjoyed and honoured that the famous Marauders wanted to use their things.

* * *

Harry was woken early next morning by Ron, who was smiling widely. Still tired, but unable to say no to Ron's eager shouts of him to get up from bed, he followed his best friend out in the living room. He stopped in the door, staring in shock and happiness. In the couch Ginny was sitting, thirty years old just like him, and smiling at him. She got on her feet and he hurried forward and caught her in a hug and she kissed him.  
"Hello, love." Ginny said with a smirk and ruffled his hair. "Did you miss me? Admit it, you missed me."  
Harry kissed her nose and smiled.  
"Of course. But how come you're here already?"  
"Why would I stay somewhere where you aren't?" Ginny asked him rhetorically. Harry smiled and nodded. He felt the same.  
"I love you."  
"Love you too, dork."

* * *

 **Review!**

 ***The reason to why Peter hadn't told them why he did it is because J.K haven't told us and I couldn't come up with a good enough reason that wasn't that he only did it because Voldemort said "Do this or I kill you. Do it and I spare you", which is a reason I don't really like. I'd like a better one, so until the Queen of the Wizarding World herself tells us this is the case I won't go with it. But then I only had two choices: this, or coming up with something that would've done that I had to let him live with the Marauders and have him forgiven, which I simply couldn't do, both because this was hard enough as it was – believe me, I got a lot of trouble with this one – and because I didn't want him in this story. He's hard and a little bit boring to write.**

 **Also, if this wasn't as good as you had expected, don't blame me. It was really hard to write, because I had no idea how it was logical for Harry to react to his parents and Padfoot and Moony, and he knew and loved a _lot_ of people who had to be in here because he's supposed to meet everyone he loves the most the first day, and the people who have been the most important to him. I've probably forgotten someone important.**

 **Yes, Snape wasn't allowed into the Paradise, he got stuck in the world beneath the Paradise. I don't think he really deserves to be there, because sure, he saved Harry a few times and he loved Lily extremely much (even though in my mind it was more of an obsession rather than love) but that didn't weight more than the bad things he did on Anubis' scale (the Egyptian god of burial, if you didn't know that. He measured the dead's souls before allowing them into the Death Kingdom to see if they were good enough). You can disagree, but this is my story so it's my decision.**

 **Sorry if I'm sounding irrational, I'm just tired and had a really hard time deciding how everything in this story would go, so I don't mean to sound mean in any way. So I apologize.**

 **See you next time!  
Hej då! (Bye on Swedish)**


	4. Chapter IV

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story**

George smiled to himself where he was lying. He didn't know why, but suddenly he felt wonderful. All the minor pains that were everywhere and that had been there for years – he was 122 years old after all, you couldn't expect to be in perfect health – suddenly disappeared. Just like that. He wondered why. Then suddenly he realized that he didn't lie in his own bed anymore. It felt different. But still very familiar. When he moved his hand to the side he too realized that he was alone in his bed. Angelina didn't lie next to him anymore. Normally something like that would have made him worried, but he still felt peaceful.

He slowly opened his eyes and almost got a shock when he realized that no, he wasn't in his and Angelina's bedroom in the house near WWW in Diagon Alley – they lived there still even though Roxanne had taken over the shop about forty years prior and they had enough money to buy a manor on the countryside. He was in Lucy's old bedroom in the Burrow. But it looked like it had done when he and Fred had lived in the room when he was young. He was lying in his old bed, with Fred's on the other side of the room. Suddenly he got a shock when he saw himself in the mirror on the wall. First he thought he saw a ghost but then he realized it was _him_. The first thing he saw was that he had both ears. The second was that he looked exactly like when he had been seventeen. He wore one of the costumes they had had when they founded the Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. Once again he looked exactly like his twin brother. It had been quite a relief when he had grown up enough not to do that any more and not having to be reminded of his lost best friend and soulmate every single time he looked into a mirror.

"You're looking like you saw a ghost." A cheerful and very familiar voice even though it had been so many years came from the door and a human-shaped being turned up in the door opening and stepped into the room. "But I guess that's not too long from the truth."

George gaped and didn't know how to react. In the door opening a perfect image of himself at seventeen – which he apparently was once again – was standing, grinning.  
"Cat got your tongue, Georgie?" His twin asked teasingly, smiling. Fred's eyes sparkled with mischief and happiness. He spread his arms wide and smirked slightly. George continued to stare for a moment before he got up from the bed as fast as he possibly could, almost faster than when eight-years-old Fred II fallen out from a third level window when they visited the Burrow and almost died, and threw himself on his brother and missing second half. No, he had had to learn after Fred's death that Fred wasn't his second half, that he still was a complete human being without his brother, but meanwhile he knew that it somehow felt like he finally was whole again now when he hugged his identical twin once more.

"Freddie…" George almost sobbed as he held Fred. "I've missed you so _much_."  
Fred hugged back just as hard and the red head thought he could feel tears on his neck. He knew he could feel tears down his face.  
"I've missed you too." His twin whispered.  
When they finally let go off each other George kept staring at his twin.

"But how? I mean… how?" He didn't know how he would say it. He had no idea how any of this was possible and couldn't word all his questions.  
"You're dead." Fred stated simply. "You died peacefully in your bed."  
"Oh." George said. He wasn't sure about how he should feel about this. "Angelina and the children?"  
"They'll be fine. Of course they will grieve but it is not impossible that Angelina will arrive here soon – I can't wait to see her again! – and Fred and Roxanne and their children and grandchildren will be able to handle it." Fred smirked. "Thank you for giving your son my name." He added.  
"Of course I did. You were my best friend. Still are, you never stopped to be. Sooo… what now. Where am I?"

Fred began to explain the Afterlife for George, how this was the passageway where you got when you arrived – the place where you had been the happiest and felt the safest. George guessed it was quite correct. After they had moved to their own apartment a war had been going on so you hadn't felt entirely safe anymore and after Fred's death… even though he had lived a happy life and been a very happy man with a wonderful family he had never really gotten over Fred. The portrait hadn't really been the same thing, after all.

"Come on, I'll show you the rest of the place." Fred smiled, and George smiled back and followed his twin brother out to this new world.

* * *

 **Review!**

 **Yes, that was short... but I got a request to write this _ages ago_ and I really, really have tried, but the part after meeting Fred again was so hard to do. So the other day I decided that this is probably the most important thing, anyways, so here you've got this, at least.**

 **Feel free to request more people's introduction and first day to the Afterlife, just take in mind that I will probably not write Dumbledore, because if there's any character that is hard and complicated to write realistically it is Dumbly. I want to honour every single person who can manage that. Especially if they can write from his POV realistically, because from inside their head you really must understand the character, and Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore still confuses me a lot. Otherwise than that, request any character you want. If you want to make it easy for me, though, choose one who would deserve the Paradise because I've got no idea how the lower parts of the Afterlife (my HP-version of it) would look. Like... doesn't matter if it's Hell or the middle levels. It's always easier to write perfection/Mary Sues/Gary Stues than places/characters with flaws even though they're the realistic thing.**

 **Well, that's all I've got to say for now. I hope you enjoyed this very short little piece.**


End file.
